Santa Baby

Merry Christmas everyone!! Just thought I would let everyone know that we found (beautiful) foster dog Rusty (below) a home. He got to stay with us over Christmas though, something about a dog door and an update for an invisible fence but he should be on his way anytime and although we'll be quite sad about that we wish him and his new family the very best. Because of him, Stella and I are back in the groove of walking 2-3 miles every morning and while most of our friends don't see that as a good thing (at 6am) we need the discipline and the exercise so it really was a gift. He's learned a million things over the last six weeks as well including how to walk past a cat without causing an explosion and how to drag a seventy pound pit bull around by the jaw. It was a mostly good experience having him, and Stella has never been happier in her life, except maybe that day when she and Diesel swam the creek  summer before last. She may need some counseling after he leaves but hopefully she'll adjust quickly. Meanwhile, we're still romping it up in the neighborhood every morning and making all the dogs go berserk in their own yards.

Hope you all and yours have a great day and a remarkable new year!!
Susan

Stella, Still Getting Her Puppy On

 

She turned six in June. We still go out on her birthday and buy her a new rope bone and collar. She gets the whole routine too somehow.

Things have been pretty busy lately. We hope you're all doing well. This time last year the two blogs that I maintained for eight years Pitcherlady and Cliffhanger disappeared without warning or explanation, off the face of the internet. A good many highlights, stories and photos of the last twenty years of my life went with them. And yes, I should've saved an edited copy of everything. I told myself none of it mattered but then I come over here occasionally and read those early stories about bringing Stella home from the fair, realize how good some of them are and end up looking for posts that no longer exist. That may be part of what's kept me quiet these last two years. That and a couple of dream jobs I didn't get. And three suicides. Pardon me while leave the dog-blogging for five quick seconds and veer off into the dark on you. Yikes. The good thing is I do still have a sense of humor. It has some chinks in it but it's perfectly normal I suppose.   

Anyway, the girl(s) have gained a few pounds because we haven't been walking like we did back in the old neighborhood. It's unfortunate and I try to fight it but the new neighborhood is a boring walk. I never even considered it would be a factor but it is. For a while we even stopped walking over to Home Depot because after a year of our shopping/visiting they put up a sign that read: Only Service Dogs Allowed (Staples just did this as well tsk, tsk). A couple of months ago the sign was gone and I noticed a dog coming out of the store so I asked a cashier what happened and she said they'd gotten a new manager who actually likes dogs. The manager decided one dog didn't represent all dogs. What a concept right? So. Way to go Home Depot. Any chance you all could stop selling Round Up?

 Some mornings we do make a run downtown to the Bicentennial Mall and ride the B-Cycle bikes. Stella trots alongside the bicycle, occasionally veering off toward a daredevil squirrel or to try to steal a lick off the legs of passing, random joggers . You've got to know that plays well. Anyway, if there is anyone left still reading, check out this beautiful road dog. And let us hear from you.  We're also on Tumblr if you happen to go that way. 

Morning Dog Walk

Our everyday walk, the one we take through the neighborhood that is, is about two miles, or seven square suburban blocks. About four times a week I try take Stella somewhere new or different particularly if I'm forced to drive to some other part of town for work. Either way, we do the neighborhood walk, seven days a week. It gets boring sometimes but in the spring it's pretty wonderful and I have Stella to thank for actually getting me out of the house for the last (nearly) four years, rain or shine, whether I like it or not. It's been an education in the natural order of things. For example, we knew that spring was on the way long before the daffodils began to bloom. We know what critters are on the move when, the exact day the trees begin to bud, when the school bus comes, what time the neighbors go to work, who takes care of their dogs and their children and who doesn't, where the shade falls on the streets leaving icy patches, which drainage ditches flood, how much litter can accumulate over a weekend, and where's the best place to find a drink of water in a pinch. We're also blessed to live in a neighborhood with old beautiful trees and a little bit of history in the landscape. The rose bushes, the Iris and the Crepe Myrtle tell a story about what was popular decades ago. I'm sure many of them have died off over the years but it isn't difficult to follow the trail of DIY gardeners even across a few blocks. Having said all that - here are a few shots of our walk this morning. The fire plug is only included because I call it Stella's boyfriend of color.

Diesel update

Here is a great update from Diesel's new mom Debbie (who we're officially crazy about): 

Diesel and Maggie are good friends now – Maggie’s still the boss but they do play together.  He’s used to the routine now, he goes out in the morning and stays out until night unless the weather is bad…Maggie is scared of lightning and thunder so I always bring her in and it’s not fair to leave him outside so he comes in also.  He’s very good about going to his bed and laying down when he’s in the house although sometimes he gets very excited and runs around like a goofball. [ed. note: I find this incomprehensible.]

I got Diesel a toy that he’s absolutely gaga over – it’s just a squeaky ball wrapped in canvas with several canvas tails so you can play tug of war.  He’s so obsessive about it and it just cracks me up when he squeaks it – he’s loves it.  I have discovered that he keeps it safe by burying it then digging it back up so it’s always muddy and nasty but he will carry it around for hours and hours.

He’s laying out on the deck in the sun right now next to Maggie.  He won’t go near the horses and when I let them in the front yard, he stays under the carport and watches to make sure they don’t come anywhere near him (they couldn’t really care less about where he is anyway).  I’ll be interested to see how he handles the farrier when he comes to do my horses because I bring them under the carport for the farrier so Diesel’s  safe place will be penetrated by those evil horses – what will he do?  So far, he’s a pretty happy guy.

I wonder if you trained Diesel to run on a treadmill.  The first nasty day that he was here and I couldn’t play ball with him to spill some of his energy – I put him on the treadmill and he immediately knew what to do.  It’s wonderful because now if he’s too full of himself and I don’t have the time or inclination to go outside and work it out of him, I just stick him on the treadmill and let him go for a mile or more and then he’s just fine.

He’s a good dog and I’m glad to have him.

How does it feel to only have one dog to contend with? I bet you find you have a lot of extra time on your hands and a lot calmer life.

First, thanks to Debbie for the update. We really appreciate it. Second, as I told her in a return e-mail, I did (in a fit of exhaustion) teach Diesel to run on the treadmill. I hadn't mentioned it here until this very minute because I wanted a good video of it which necessitated moving furniture and setting up a light, but I ran out of time over the holidays. It was a lot of fun and to be honest, I didn't have to do that much teaching. I just had to figure out the logistics of it and say "good boy" a few times and he understood. I held the leash and pretended to walk or jog along next to him.  He did it without second guessing me, without an explanation and with zero experience. It was beautiful. 

Stella, on the other hand..did not master the treadmill. Stella analyzes everything and she thinks way too much. She'll walk up onto anything I ask her to but you let the floor start moving and Stella is going to pick up her marbles and go straight home.

Lastly, life is definitely more calm with just one dog. Especially since the two of them used to play the canine version of Smackdown in my office twice a day. Initially, I encouraged this behavior - in order to teach them  to "stop" on command but they burned some good energy that way too and never once broke anything or turned over a piece of furniture - which I still find amazing. 

Alone at the dog park

 Today started with a romp at the dog park, unfortunately there were no other dogs there, and ended with the absolute best double dog-walk to date. Not sure what was up with them but I wish I could have bottled some of it up for tomorrow and the next day. Diesel even dropped the ball a few times on command. Crazy.

Happy New Year everyone. Thanks again for stopping in.

Cutting out the middle man

Here are a couple of stray shots I forgot to include in the last post. Believe it or not, that little duck appeared to be teasing Diesel. It kept coming back to us for the better part of an hour. I guess it gets pretty boring just floating around on the lake. Of course Diesel might as well be wearing a t-shirt that says Rookie on it so maybe it just couldn't resist.

Water Racer

So you don't have a fenced in yard and your dog is unpredictable around strange dogs and his recall isn't what it should be or will be and you have to find a way to drain the energy out of him in order to (as some famous dog trainers might say..) make a clear path to his mind.. So what do you do?

Well, our choices are somewhat limited but the best thing I've found so far involves a lake and a tennis ball. Let it be known that our friend Diesel is a little bit obsessed with the ball under most circumstances but after a few swims, his demeanor is much more relaxed. He begins to "drop it" automatically. This gives me the opportunity to "catch" the behavior and name it for him. Over and over and over again until he is asleep sitting up in the back of my car.

At first he wouldn't swim at all. Then I explained the whole Labrador Retriever thing to him and an hour later, he was a pro.

If dogs could laugh

Hostel

It's coming up on time to say goodbye to the original three kittens. They go next week to get fixed and have a second round of shots. Then after a couple of recovery days, they'll go over to PetSmart where I'm reasonably sure they'll be adopted by wonderful families who for whatever reason, decided they need companionship in the form of a cat. I'm sure most will get new names that suit their owners and my coffee table will go back to looking like it used to. Boring, but functional. Stella will probably think something's gone awry but like Domino, she'll adjust.

Speaking of Stella, we have a temporary house guest whose home was wrecked by a fallen tree. Stella has pretty much disowned me (except at meal times - of course) in favor of the new guy. She sits up on the bed with him and when I call her she just looks at me as if to say "Who are you again?" There's a word for that but I won't say it.

Stella and Walter, living it up on my futon.

The three of us went down to the fairgrounds today and there was a woman walking her dog there that I'd met a couple of years ago. A professional dog owner, she walks her dogs regularly without leashes. I let Stella off the leash too since it's all fenced in down there anyway and she immediately went to the creek. We've never been off leash at a creek before so you can imagine what came next.

Wallowing. Head-completely-under-muddy water, digging up sticks, sort of wallowing, followed by bounding through waist high grass and weeds and more wallowing. In between the two was a fair amount of beaming on Stella's part. I think her favorite thing is being off leash. When we finally got back to the car (and this was after fifteen minutes at most) she was completely soaked with mud and grass, cockleburs, and God knows what. Throw in some chiggers and a tick or two and you get the idea.

Our friends from the cemetery walk (and I've been meaning to say this for a few weeks now and just haven't thought of it) - were given a lecture about the leash laws a couple of times by a bored park policeman. The property is enclosed by a stone fence except for two very long driveways. Anyway, he caught up with them again recently during their early morning ritual whereupon he proceeded to write them four separate tickets at $75. apiece. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

Yeah, I know, it's the law and it's a very effective law in most instances. I think there should be some flexibility though. Maybe a workshop that teaches police officers to use some rational discretion, some common-sense interpretation, particularly when it comes to that chaotic underworld of outlaw dog walkers.

A variety of charges

Okay, so we were charged by a Jack Russel Terrier named Eddie today. I told Stella she should make a note of it since Terriers are in fact, a part of her lineage (ahem). Thankfully, she didn't kill him. He ran up to her growling, smelled her behind and then changed his tune. We only knew his name was Eddie because his owners were yelling his name (and peeing themselves) from some distance away.

We went to the vet today and got Stella's annual rabies vaccination. They said she was the perfect weight (57 lb) for her size. There was a chart in the waiting room that pretty much blew my mind. Since some of us are determined to treat our pets like children even to the point of feeding them to death, apparently now there's a market for DIET DOG FOOD. Here's a short list of how human food translates calorie-wise to our pets. It's pretty scary to be honest.

Here's another scary (and upsetting) link that brings to light an issue lawmakers have yet to address. Basically, here in Tennessee anyway, your neighbor or anyone for that matter, can take the life of your pet and assuming they did it in a humane fashion, legally - it's about the same as if they picked up a pair of your tennis shoes and threw them in the river. This story can't help but infuriate people but I hope some of you will pass it on if only to help educate the masses and get the right people interested in changing things.

Finally, on a much lighter note, there's the Kitten Report:
Something's in the air. Domino has taken to her kitten box (the original one that I made in the closet) no less than FOUR times today. What's more, Stella is resting comfortably in her crate, which is totally out of character unless of course, she's done something bad or I'm about to leave the house. I still can't make any predictions. The kittens are moving around a lot more but Domino isn't actively in labor yet. She's just lying in the box, calm and waiting; presumably rehearsing her lines. You know the ones: "Because I said so, that's why" and "Wipe that look off your face." or "I can give you something to cry about." Personally, I hope she makes it through to tomorrow or they'll all end up with Irish names. Happy St. Patrick's Day, btw.

Update: It's 10:18 p.m - I'm going to go out on a limb here (again) and say that we're approaching lift off. Mama cat is experiencing some pretty major discomfort in the last half hour..

1:00 a.m. Should be a kitten any minute. I keep having to remind myself that cats have been having babies for generations without me even so much as looking on.

New Years Revelation

We see you resolutionaries out walking/biking/running in celebration of the new year. We admire your pluck and sincerely hope you are successful this time, whether your priority is losing weight, toning up or lapping us on the turn. It is with that thought in mind that I am moved to offer the tiniest slivers of wisdom to a select few of you who are so clearly annoyed by the presence of someone walking a dog; a dog by the way, who would totally love to tag you on the heel as you trot by us but who chooses not to.
Here goes:

1. We were here first and we will be here long after you have given up.

2. We regularly collect your empty water bottles & your power bar wrappers and place them in the trash bins much like your mother must have done for you far into your twenties.

3. When you slam past us at top speed on your new $2000. bicycle, it scares the crap out of both of us. The first time, it's fine, I understand, perhaps you didn't know. The third time you do it - you should understand that I'm fantasizing about beating you senseless with your own bicycle pump. I'm not sure what Stella has in mind but I assume it's some action of equal or greater value.

4. My dog is not on Valium. When your child charges us on a Big Wheel you should expect a reaction that doesn't include fairy dust or butterflies.

5. Finally, I understand that you are on a mission. Your aim is to reduce stress, not create it. Therefore, I respectfully submit that you not spend your time making open fun of Stella's winter coat lest I remind you that your new walking/biking/running ensemble makes you an athlete in much the same way my cowboy boots make me a cowboy.

To the rest of you: It's great to have a little company in these long winter months. Hang in there, we wish you all the best!

Running Bases

She usually stays out of the infield but every once in a while, she loses control I guess, her brain goes haywire and she passes the frisbee on the ground and just heads for the bases. She got a Chuck-it ball launcher (well I guess we both got it) for Christmas. It's a huge hit.

She's also managed to overcome her fear of skateboards over the last month or so. I actually haven't tested her with other skateboards (maybe it's rogue teenage boys she's afraid of) but she's no longer afraid of the one we're currently using as a rickshaw. There's a video in the works, we'll keep you posted.

Pooch Plunge 2

Since we're on the subject of water (and way behind), this last Sunday we went to the Pooch Plunge at Nashville Shores. It was a benefit for Nashville Public Television (NpT). Some of you may remember we tried to go last year and the weather didn't cooperate for them and it was eventually canceled. This year though, was another story altogether. There were tons of dogs. Stella had a lot of fun although for the first hour it was like chasing a delinquent kid around.

As usual, before we went I took her for a long walk to (presumably) expend some of her energy but this time, under such stimulating conditions, the long walk just didn't take. Once we got into the gate and I let her off the leash, she went tearing off around the outer perimeter of the event like a freight train. It was basically harmless but managed to score her lots of attention. By far, it exceeded the efforts of any and all herding type dogs in attendance. When she finally burned off the top layer (believe me there were six or seven left to go) she discovered that the sponsor tables had treats on them and that if she ran up to the table and gave them the look, they would give her a treat. Now, you might ask yourself what happened when they finally cut her off? Well, she either stood up on the table and demanded one or waited until they looked away and rammed her whole head off into the bucket and helped herself (ahem!) Very unladylike. Very unStella. Bad. Dog.

Once I was finally able to get her to understand that there were consequences to this sort of foolishness, she gave up on the food and crashed the Flyball demonstration. I looked away for two seconds and heard someone yell "Wait! Where did that dog come from?" When I followed their gaze she was chasing the Flyball dog and I had the urge to just say: Jeez, I don't know but somebody needs to get control of that thing. Again, harmless but totally disruptive. She did the same to some pups taking the Canine Good Citizen test. It was a good chance for her to experience the fact that not all dog interaction involves playing. Understand - her version of playing goes two ways-- Chase and Smackdown Wrestling. She's as happy to be chased as she is to be the chaser and she'll adjust her speed if it's a little dog that she could easily overcome; those are the ones I love to watch.



She got into the water a time or two and was very curious about the dogs that were busy retrieving things but never actually made an effort to swim (basically killing my theory that if she saw dogs swimming, she'd copy them.)

Then she found two playmates one after the other who thanks to their owners, gave her the work out she was really after. The first was a young Great Dane named Bella. She was pretty gentle but not intimidated (as some dogs are) by her rough and tumble approach. The second dog was Sampson and for the record, if Sampson was our neighbor I have no doubt he'd be Stella's new boyfriend. The two of them wore each other out. He was a young (competitive) dock-diving German Shepherd. After several rounds of full-throttle playing which I might add, scared the crap out of some patrons, and the life guards, he was the only dog there able to lure Stella into the water. She still didn't swim - but just like all the girls with a bad boy crush, she followed him right in there against her better judgment.




Needless to say, this all culminated in one big satisfied snooze complete with snoring all the way home. We had a great time (minus the initial craziness and if any of you Flyballers should happen by here - we apologize again) and hope the folks at NpT made a big wad of dog-friendly cash. Thanks for the swim.

Atlantic City: gamble vs. gambol

When all else fails, ask you waitress. There isn't a thing online about any dog beach in or near Atlantic City. Stella and I took our chances and looked for local dog lovers. It was tricky to find it but once we got there, I just wanted to pitch a tent. We went three times and three times Stella forgot all about her Bulldog side and tapped into the Terrier for a change. She'd eyeball the ground suspiciously and launch herself into the sand, digging as hard and as fast she could go. She would then freeze and snap her teeth a couple of times (possessed) and have another go at it. It was better than any casino.

Bear, the smaller of the two dogs above was a big dog trapped in the body of a small dog. He gave Stella the wrestle of her life and it was wonderful to watch. He had the best moves. His owner and I just stood there laughing the whole time. The other dog, Seamus had a pretty good time too. He was the only dog that manged to lure Stella into the water deeper than she would've normally gone. She still never got the hang of swimming out there but she was totally curious about the dogs that were able to.

Anniversary Party

Wednesday was mine and Stella's 2 year anniversary. I wouldn't change anything really except maybe those two knee surgeries which you'll see in a minute, seem to have worked. We haven't been to the fair this year at all. The rides aren't even on the midway - they're up on the hill which to me, is interesting but sad. After more than a century, there won't be a state fair next year so we made an executive decision to boycott. Almost all of our old time friends are gone anyway. Don't worry, we're still keeping our eyes open for carny dogs, human and canine.

Meanwhile - I made this goofy video of Stella playing fetch; or at least her version of it. You'll have to forgive me as I'm working with a twenty-five dollar camera and my assistants rarely cooperate; not to mention the fact that it's my first ever attempt at video editing. At one point I sped the whole thing up by accident and Stella looked like the Roadrunner. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to undo it.



P.S. I know some of you out there have been looking for a way to artfully disguise your vicious baby-snatching dogs. Well, thanks to SkateTruck, we've found the solution.

Friends & neighbors

Stella and I walk twice a day. One of those walks is usually outside of our neighborhood, I try to schedule it between errands or work so I'm not just burning gas to walk the dog. The second walk is through our neighborhood. Over time, like all dedicated dog walkers, we've learned where all the dogs and cats live. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would know the names and locations of so many dogs. It just isn't something I ever thought of before. About half a mile away from the house, there's a place in one of our walks that I refer to as the cat house. There's a dog that chases us every time we walk by. It comes high-balling up the driveway and out into the street with us, barking like mad. I might actually be frightened by the whole scene were it not for the fact that this dog is the size of a hamster. Stella just stops and stares. When it gets within five or six feet of us it turns and runs and I always think of an episode of the Dog Whisperer where Cesar says (I'm paraphrasing): "If these pit bulls were not well-balanced, this little dog would be an appetizer."

Regarding the photo above, I may have mentioned it once before, but when we go outside first thing in the morning, we ALL go out. It's like a little parade down the street. The pit bull, the tail-free cat and me. Gigi doesn't have a leash of course, she just chooses to follow us out and then back in again for breakfast. Occasionally, she'll get distracted by one thing or another and stop but she always catches up and comes back in for breakfast with us. I may have to get one of the neighbors to videotape it sometime. It makes that first scoop of poop in the morning a lot more tolerable.

p.s. We took possession of a mother cat and three kittens a couple of days ago. The hell they were living in was indescribable without the use of raging epithets. I'll post some pictures but meanwhile, if you all know anyone in or around Nashville who is looking for a new best friend, please don't hesitate to comment below. Me and Stella will deliver it to your door.